*Recycling*

As a small continuation from last week, here are the details of recycling in Germany. First of all, don't get discouraged. You'll eventually get it.

This picture only shows three bins, but there are actually four bins and something besides. The first bin includes anything that can be considered non-paper packaging. That's bags, cans, foil, and anything plastic. The second bin is for bio-degradable things. That's easy enough to figure out. The third bin is for whatever is left over after all the separating. The fourth (and unseen) bin holds paper products.

Then, somewhere random that may not necessarily be a bin, you will have your glass items, plastic bottles, and batteries. The glass items are to be split into green glass, clear glass, and brown glass. The plastic bottles are to be separated into groups of those you can get money back for (by simply bringing them to the store), and those that you can't get money for. Those that you can't get money for should go into the packaging bin. Batteries are brought to the store.

Where it gets really difficult is when things are mixed, such as a (paper) egg carton with (biodegradable) eggs shells totally stuck to it, or an envelope that has a plastic "window" where the address goes.

Good luck.